A picture-postcard town has erupted into open revolt over controversial plans to finance a £4.5m council move by selling off local assets.

Repeated attempts by local councillors to discuss the issue have descended into farce, with mass public invasions forcing meetings to be called off.

And in the face of the unprecedented level of protest now sweeping across Richmond desperate efforts are now being made to find an even bigger venue to support the weight of people power.

On Wednesday night Richmondshire District Council's resources committee attempted to hold the meeting in Richmond School's Middle Hall, thought to be the largest venue in the district.

It can hold 500 people - but when more than 800 marched in, swamping the hall and blocking the fire exits, chairman Wendy Morton was forced to call a halt on safety grounds.

Council leader John Blackie, who remained behind to meet some of the protesters, later had to be escorted to his car by police. A meeting earlier in the month, at the council's own Swale House in Richmond, also had to be cancelled on similar grounds when more than 200 crowded into the chamber.

The growing row centres on the authority's already-agreed move to purpose-built premises in nearby Colburn and, in particular, its efforts to finance it.

Officials are recommending the sale and development of two car-parks - at Station Road and York Square - and the sale of five council buildings, Swale House, Friars Wynd, Frenchgate House and numbers 20 and 33 Frenchgate, as well as land at Gatherley Road, Brompton-on-Swale.

The buildings, some of them listed but regarded as sub-standard for a modern authority, would be sold as office accommodation or for residential conversion.

Intertwined with that in the protesters' eyes, but not directly connected, is the possible sell-off of play areas and open spaces following a Government directive to councils to examine their landholdings.

A decision on the latter is not expected until next month - but The Northern Echo can reveal that officials are about to recommend that all the play areas, and the majority of the open spaces, should be retained.

Meanwhile the protests are continuing. An anti-sell off petition has now hit 4,000 signatures - equivalent to half the town's population - and is still growing.

Protest leader Emma Gruffydd said: "Richmond is a precious place and it must not be turned into a ghost town. We will double our turn out at the reconvened meeting."

But Coun Blackie insisted: "This is something we have to debate. No decision has been made and they are only proposals at the moment." He pledged the reconvened meeting would be within Richmond's boundaries at the largest venue they could secure.